X2

Sink Your Claws Into Yamahas All-new Wolverine X2.

- Bruce Mcmahon

THE SPRAWLING Mount Seaview Resort, west of Port Macquarie, has mountains, faraway campsites and gullies of deep river crossings, so it’s the perfect spot to be introduced to Yamaha’s latest off-roader: the two-seater Wolverine X2.

The go-anywhere buggy is a side-by-side vehicle with part-time four-wheel drive and a heap of ability for rough work. It’s not cheap for an off-road-only machine, at $21,499, but it is uber competent and comfortable; some would pay this much for suspension work on a full-sized 4WD and still not ride ruts and whoop-dee-dos as well as this. Whether spewing dirt on steep ascents, splashing through creeks or dodging through the trees, this is a magic machine for work or play. It’s no slouch when the tracks open up, either.

The latest X2 gets the new 847cc twin-cylinder motor, which generates 47 per cent more torque and 32 per cent more power than the outgoing X2. That’s hooked up to Yamaha’s Ultramatic CVT transmission, which slurs through its belt system at lower revs than before and then delivers to either the rear wheels or all four. Drive-by-wire throttle and a speed control key to limit top speed to 40km/h are both new for the two-seat Wolverine.